U.S. patent application number 11/873089 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-23 for video recording apparatus.
Invention is credited to Youichi Horii, Hiroko SUKEDA.
Application Number | 20080260346 11/873089 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39437809 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080260346 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SUKEDA; Hiroko ; et
al. |
October 23, 2008 |
VIDEO RECORDING APPARATUS
Abstract
A video recording apparatus includes a receiver for receiving
video information from an external device, a recorder for recording
video information received by the receiver, and a controller for
separating a thumbnail image from the video information. The video
information includes first additional information including frame
time information and priority information of the video information.
The controller separates the thumbnail image from the video
information on the basis of the first additional information.
Inventors: |
SUKEDA; Hiroko; (Tokorozawa,
JP) ; Horii; Youichi; (Mitaka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MATTINGLY, STANGER, MALUR & BRUNDIDGE, P.C.
1800 DIAGONAL ROAD, SUITE 370
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
39437809 |
Appl. No.: |
11/873089 |
Filed: |
October 16, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
386/241 ;
386/248; 386/E5.001; 386/E5.043; 386/E9.036; 386/E9.041 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 9/8227 20130101;
H04N 21/8153 20130101; H04N 21/8133 20130101; H04N 5/782 20130101;
H04N 9/8205 20130101; H04H 60/73 20130101; H04N 5/85 20130101; H04N
21/44008 20130101; H04N 9/8233 20130101; H04N 21/4334 20130101;
H04N 5/781 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
386/46 ;
386/E05.001 |
International
Class: |
H04N 5/91 20060101
H04N005/91 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 17, 2006 |
JP |
2006-282144 |
Claims
1. A video recording apparatus, comprising: a receiver for
receiving video information from an external device; a recorder for
recording video information received by the receiver; and a
controller for separating a thumbnail image from the video
information, wherein: the video information includes first
additional information including frame time information and
priority information of the video information; and the controller
separates the thumbnail image from the video information on the
basis of the first additional information.
2. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
controller separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of
time when the priority is highest within a period of time in which
the video information is recorded by the recorder.
3. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising
input means for selecting and separating an arbitrary thumbnail
image from a plurality of thumbnail images which respectively
include the priority information and which are respectively
obtained at a plurality of points of time within a period of time
in which the video information is recorded by the recorder.
4. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, further
comprising input means for inputting user information indicating a
type of video information to which high priority is to be assigned,
wherein the controller conducts a recalculation of the priority on
the basis of the user information and the first additional
information and separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a
point of time when the priority after the recalculation is
highest.
5. A video recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the
controller selects, if a plurality of points of time at which the
priority is highest exist within a period of time in which the
video information is recorded by the recorder, a point of time at
which the priority is high on the basis of the user information to
thereby separate a thumbnail image.
6. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the
controller makes a check to determine similarity between images at
a plurality of points of time at which the first additional
information is added to the video information within a period of
time in which the video information is recorded by the recorder,
assigns a higher weight to the priority corresponding to a point of
time associated with higher similarity, and assigns a lower weight
to the priority corresponding to a point of time associated with
lower similarity.
7. A video recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the
receiver obtains second additional information regarding the video
information via an internet; the second additional information
includes frame time information of the video information,
information regarding posting points of time of postings from
external communities, and information regarding the number of
postings from external communities; and the controller conducts a
recalculation of the priority on the basis of the first additional
information and the second additional information to thereby
separate the thumbnail image from the video information.
8. A video recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein it is
possible to determine, according to determination of the priority,
the weights to be assigned respectively to the first additional
information and the second additional information.
9. A video recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein it is
possible to determine, according to determination of the priority,
the weights to be assigned respectively to the first additional
information and the second additional information.
10. A video recording apparatus, comprising: a receiver for
receiving video information from an external device; a recorder for
recording video information received by the receiver; and a
controller for separating a thumbnail image from the video
information, wherein: the receiver obtains additional information
regarding the video information via an internet; the additional
information includes frame time information of the video
information, information regarding posting points of time of
postings from external communities, and information regarding the
number of postings from external communities; and the controller
calculates priority on the basis of the additional information to
thereby separate the thumbnail image from the video
information.
11. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the
controller separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of
time when the priority is highest within a period of time in which
the video information is recorded by the recorder.
12. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein for
the calculation of the priority, the controller 1) separates the
thumbnail image by preferentially processing a frame time of which
the posting time is nearer to the frame time, 2) separates the
thumbnail image by preferentially processing a frame time
associated with a large number of postings, or 3) separates the
thumbnail image, by combining the operations of 1) and 2) with each
other.
13. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, comprising
input means for selecting and separating an arbitrary thumbnail
image from a plurality of thumbnail images which respectively
include information regarding the priority and which are
respectively obtained at a plurality of points of time within a
period of time in which the video information is recorded by the
recorder.
14. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, further
comprising input means for inputting user information indicating a
type of video information to which high priority is to be assigned,
wherein the controller conducts a recalculation of the priority on
the basis of the user information and the additional information
and separates a thumbnail image corresponding to a point of time
when the priority after the recalculation is highest.
15. A video recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the
controller selects, if a plurality of points of time at which the
priority is highest exist within a period of time in which the
video information is recorded by the recorder, a point of time at
which the priority is high on the basis of the user information to
thereby separate a thumbnail image.
16. A video recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the
controller makes a check to determine similarity between images at
a plurality of points of time at which the additional information
is added to the video information within a period of time in which
the video information is recorded by the recorder, assigns a higher
weight to the priority corresponding to a point of time associated
with higher similarity, and assigns a lower weight to the priority
corresponding to a point of time associated with lower
similarity.
17. A video recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein it
is possible to determine, according to determination of the
priority, the weights to be assigned respectively to the additional
information and the user information.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] The present application claims priority from Japanese
application JP2006-282144 filed on Oct. 17, 2006, the content of
which is hereby incorporated by reference into this
application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a video recording apparatus
for storing and managing a video program, and in particular, to a
method of setting a program thumbnail image of a program to
facilitate distinction of the program and a video recording
apparatus in which the method is installed.
[0003] There have been broadly employed program recording
apparatuses to record television programs in a hard disk, a Digital
Versatile Disk (DVD), or a video tape for the user to later view
the programs thus recorded in advance. For the user to easily
distinguish the programs, it is a common practice to display
thumbnail images representing parts of the programs. Based on the
thumbnail images, the user recognizes the programs to conduct an
operation, for example, to reproduce a desired program.
[0004] In general, such a thumbnail image is obtained from video
signals beforehand recorded, by separating or cutting an image out
of a predetermined frame. Specifically, there is obtained in many
cases, as the thumbnail image, a frame image from the video signals
at a position corresponding to a lapse of a predetermined period of
time (e.g., one minute) relative to the recording start point
(reference is to be made to, for example, JP-A-2003-61039).
According to another technique, it is possible that the viewer
sets, when a program is recorded or reproduced, the lapse of time
to separate the frame (reference is to be made to, for example,
JP-A-2003-32581 and JP-A-2005-151085).
[0005] On the other hand, to efficiently view a program by
primarily changing the video reproducing speed for each scene of
the program, there has been proposed a method of externally
obtaining a reproducing script regarding the program from a device
outside the recording apparatus(reference is to be made to
JP-A-2005-236527). According to this method, it is possible to
externally define a program viewing method via a network or the
like by using as a key a predetermined period of time relative to
the program start time. In addition, JP-A-2005-354642 describes a
program information processing system including a program
information managing server to store program meta-information,
i.e., meta-information regarding programs and a program information
terminal to present on its display a list of programs created on
the basis of the program meta-information. Additionally, there has
been provided a service in which a program is subdivided into
scenes to distribute, via a network, program metadata in which
description is added to each scene. According to this service, it
is possible to externally define, via a network or the like,
additional information for each scene of the program using, as a
key, a predetermined period of time relative to the program start
time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The convention method of setting a program thumbnail image
is attended with a problem that the image obtained by separating a
frame corresponding to a point of time when a predetermined period
of time lapses relative to the program start point does not
necessarily appropriately reflect the contents of the program.
Particularly, in a program which is weekly broadcast at the same
time, the images separated as above are the same title images every
week. Therefore, the recorded programs cannot be distingished from
each other in some cases. There may disadvantageously occur a
situation in which the obtained image is part of a commercial image
by chance.
[0007] There has been proposed a method for the user to arbitrarily
set, for each program, a point of time to separate a frame. In this
method, the user manually sets a frame of a thumbnail image at
reservation or reproduction of the program. However, it is
disadvantageously required for the user to carry out troublesome
and complex operations.
[0008] The service of "Television Blog" described above provides a
mechanism including a function to distribute, via a network,
metadata regarding the program for the browsing thereof and a
function in which the user transmits comments and the like on a
program or a scene. However, reference has been made to neither a
method nor a device to automatically extract a representative video
image corresponding to a desired point of time, by combining these
functional elements of the mechanism.
[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a method and a program recording apparatus mounted with the
method wherein a program thumbnail image of a program is set to
facilitate distinction of the program through a simpler operation
for the user (or without requiring user's operation), the thumbnail
image appropriately reflecting the contents of the recorded video
signals of the program.
[0010] To achieve the object, in the operation to select a
thumbnail image, additional information (metadata) is employed to
separate the thumbnail image, the additional information being
obtainable from an external device by use of, for example, a
network, a broadcast signal, and the like.
[0011] The metadata includes time information capable of
identifying a thumbnail for each frame using "day and time" and a
channel. In the program recording apparatus, a thumbnail image is
separated as a representative image on the basis of a channel of
video signals recorded as above and a recording time zone in which
the video signals are recorded. If a plurality of metadata items
exist as thumbnail candidates within the period of time of the
recorded videos, a representative thumbnail image can be selected
using information such as priority assigned thereto in advance. In
this method, a representative scene of the videos can be set as a
thumbnail image even if the recorded videos are not classified in
program units (for example, when the recording period is designated
in hours to record the videos or when the recorded videos include a
plurality of programs). Also when scenes of a program are delimited
for each chapter, it is possible to select a representative image
for each chapter.
[0012] The metadata to select a thumbnail may be distributed from a
broadcasting station or a performer or a sponsor. If the general
viewers are allowed to generate and to distribute metadata, each
viewer may select a most appropriate representative image matching
the taste of the pertinent viewer from a large number of metadata
items. Moreover, the viewer may finally select an appropriate image
from candidates beforehand selected in the method described
above.
[0013] Concretely, to achieve the object, the present invention has
aspects as follows.
[0014] First, there is provided a video recording apparatus
including a receiver for receiving video information from an
external device, a recorder for recording video information
received by the receiver, and a controller for separating a
thumbnail image from the video information. The video information
includes first additional information including frame time
information and priority information of the video information. The
controller separates the thumbnail image from the video information
on the basis of the first additional information.
[0015] Second, according to the present invention, there is
provided a video recording apparatus including a receiver for
receiving video information from an external device, a recorder for
recording video information received by the receiver, and a
controller for separating a thumbnail image from the video
information. The receiver obtains additional information regarding
the video information via an internet. The additional information
includes frame time information of the video information,
information regarding posting points of time of posting from
external communities, and information regarding the number of
posting from external communities. The controller calculates
priority on the basis of the additional information to thereby
separate the thumbnail image from the video information.
[0016] According to the present invention, there can be provided a
method and a video recording apparatus mounted with the method
wherein a program thumbnail image of a program is set to facilitate
distinction of the program through a simpler operation for the
user, the thumbnail image possibly appropriately reflecting the
contents of the recorded video signals of the program.
[0017] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following description of the embodiments
of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration and a
processing flow in a first embodiment.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a video
recorder.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram to explain a conventional method.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram to explain a proposed method.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a thumbnail separation
procedure.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a metadata format to separate a
thumbnail.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of processing when
different programs are contained in the recorded information.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a system configuration and a
processing flow in a second embodiment.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing similar image grouping (1).
[0027] FIG. 10 is a diagram to explain a processing flow of similar
image grouping (2).
[0028] FIG. 11 is a diagram to explain automatic assignment of
priority (1).
[0029] FIG. 12 is a diagram to explain a processing flow of
automatic assignment of priority (2).
[0030] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing thumbnail selection is a
recording section (1).
[0031] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing operation of thumbnail
selection is a recording section (2).
[0032] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing received metadata and a
processing flow.
[0033] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing screen examples.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
1. First Embodiment
[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 7, description will be given of
a first embodiment of a system implemented according to the present
invention.
[0035] FIG. 1 shows a system configuration and a general processing
flow of a first embodiment. A viewer 001 possesses a video recorder
010 in his or her own house or the like 002 and records and stores
videos of programs therein. The video recorder 010 operates through
operation phases as follows. In a first phase (101), according to a
predetermined procedure, a program is recorded and the program
recording is finished. In a second phase (102), a thumbnail image
is separated as a representative image of the program using a
predetermined method (e.g., by separating a frame corresponding to
a point of time when one minute lapses after the recording is
started). Concurrently, in a third phase (103), a program
information center or a broadcasting station 003 or a community or
a service provider 004 creates by a server 040 metadata to separate
a thumbnail for the broadcast videos. In a fourth phase (104), the
created metadata is transmitted on a network or with a broadcast
signal to the video recorder 101. In a fifth phase (105), the video
recorder 010 receives the metadata to select a thumbnail image
according to a predetermined rule (if a thumbnail image has already
been set, the video recorder 010 replaces the existing image with
the selected image. In a sixth phase (106), the viewer 001 refers
to or views a program recorded and stored in the video recorder 010
via a video display 014. If the thumbnail image separation of phase
2 is skipped, the representative image of the program is first
determined through the thumbnail selection in phase 5.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a video recorder employed in
the system. The video recorder 010 includes recording media such as
a hard disk drive 011, a DVD 013, and a DVD drive 012 to store
information including videos, voice, control data to reserve
recording of, for example, a program and to select a program to be
viewed; a tuner 025 to receive via an antenna a video signal to
input videos and the like to be stored in the recording media, a
video display 026 to control a video display devices such as a
television set and a monitor, and a communication unit 027 to
connect via the internet 005 or the like to a server. If the video
signals are received from other than the antenna, for example, from
a cable or network communication line, there may be required a
device such as a settop box in place of the tuner 025. The video
display devices such as a television set and a monitor may be
constructed in a unit to be integrally combined with the video
recorder 010 or may be separated therefrom. The hard disk drive 011
stores data 030 of recorded programs. The data 303 includes video
data 031 and metadata 032 which is information associated with the
video data 031. The controller 020 includes processing modules to
execute various processing such as a recording routine 021, a
recording reserving routine 022, a video reproducing routine 023, a
thumbnail selecting routine 024.
[0037] FIG. 3 shows an outline of processing to set a thumbnail
image in a general conventional method. From a program 203 recorded
in a time zone from a start time 201 to an end time 202, a frame
210 is separated at a predetermined time (when one minute lapses
relative to the recording start point in this example) and is
designated as a thumbnail image 220. Also for the videos subdivided
for chapters, the images respectively of frames 211 to 216
separated when one minute lapses relative to the start points of
the respective chapters) are designated as thumbnail images 221 to
226. In this method, it is not guaranteed that each of the
thumbnail images automatically separated as above appropriately
reflects the contents of the associated program or chapter. There
hence may exist a situation wherein this method is not
appropriately used to distinguish the program or chapter later
depending on cases.
[0038] FIG. 4 shows an outline of the thumbnail image setting
operation in a method proposed according to the present invention.
It is assumed that for a program 203 recorded from a start time 201
to an end time 202, metadata representing priority of thumbnail
selection for each predetermined point of time has been received by
a predetermined module. An image obtained by separating a frame 230
with the highest priority within the program time zone is
designated as a thumbnail image of the program. Using the metadata,
chapters 231 to 236 having the highest priority in the respective
ranges delimited by chapters are selected and separated to set
thumbnail images 241 to 246 for the respective chapters. If the
viewer does not desire to use a thumbnail image automatically
selected as above, it is also possible that the user manually
selects a thumbnail image from frames of metadata items as
candidates and sets the thumbnail image in place of the
automatically selected image.
[0039] Referring now to FIG. 5, description will be given of a flow
of processing primarily to select a thumbnail image in a recording
apparatus according to the present invention. The recording routine
021 conducts a program recording step (301) based on the recording
reservation as in the ordinary recording apparatus. If there exists
metadata received in advance (302), processing of the thumbnail
selecting routine 024 is executed, which will be described later.
Otherwise, a frame is separated when a beforehand designated time
lapses relative to the start time in a method similar to the
conventional method to thereby set the default thumbnail image
(304). When metadata to determine a thumbnail is received via a
broadcast signal or a network at appropriate timing after the
recording or during the broadcasting of the program (305), control
goes to the thumbnail selecting routine 024.
[0040] The thumbnail selecting routine 024 extracts, in a time zone
from the recording start time to the recording end time, a frame to
which thumbnail selecting metadata is assigned (306). Thereafter, a
weighting operation is conducted using conditions associated with
items such as a keyword, a genre, or presence or absence of a
comment, which will be described later, according to necessity
(307), to thereby separate a frame image with the highest priority
to set the image as a thumbnail image (308). If the chapter
division is manually or automatically conducted after the thumbnail
image is set, the above processing is repeatedly executed for each
recording section or interval (309). If the viewer manually selects
a thumbnail image, the selecting routine 024 again conducts the
thumbnail image setting in which the image manually set by the
viewer takes precedence.
[0041] FIG. 6 shows a format of the thumbnail separating metadata.
Each metadata item 400 includes a data IDentifier (ID) 401, a frame
time 402, a channel 403, thumbnail separation priority 404, program
information (primarily, Electronic Program Guide (EPG)
information), i.e., information 405 such as a title 406, a subtitle
407, a category 408, a performer 409, a program start time 410, and
a program end time 411; a keyword 412, a comment 413, and a
transmission source 414. It is assumed that the metadata is
distributed in, for example, an extensible Markup Language (XML)
format indicated by a reference numeral 420, but the metadata is
not necessarily restricted by the XML format.
[0042] Description has been given of the present invention by
mainly assuming that a single program is recorded through one
recording operation. According to the method of the present
invention, a thumbnail image may be set for each program.
Additionally, it is also possible that the maximum priority in a
desired recording section is employed as a reference in the
thumbnail selection. Therefore, also when a plurality of programs
are recorded and when part of a program is recorded through one
recording operation, the method is effectively employed to select
an optimal thumbnail image in a desired recording section. FIG. 7
shows processing to record a plurality of programs through one
recording operation. If program A 204 and program B 205 are
recorded from the start time 201 to the end time 202, a frame with
the maximum priority is basically separated regardless of the pause
or boundary between programs. Assume that the system is beforehand
set to assign weights to the priority levels of the programs in the
recording section which each include a keyword beforehand
registered by the viewer. Even if there exists a plurality of
frames with the same priority as frames 237 and 238, since the
weights are assigned thereto as above, the system separates an
image 247 of the frame 237 to set the image 247 as the thumbnail
image. The weighting condition may include, in addition to the
keyword described above, various items as reference items, e.g., a
genre of the program as well as the creation time and the
transmission source of the metadata. The weighting condition and
parameters employed to set the priority may be beforehand set when
the system is delivered.
Additionally, it is also possible to efficiently select an
appropriate thumbnail image matching the taste of the viewer by
disposing various functions as follows. For example, there are
disposed a function for the viewer to change these items later and
a function for the system to automatically learn these items. Also,
the viewer may manually select a thumbnail image from frames with
high priority selected according to the above reference.
2. Second Embodiment
[0043] Referring next to FIG. 8, description will be given of a
second example of a system according to the present invention. The
second embodiment is almost equal in the basic configuration and
processing procedures to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
However, the second embodiment additionally includes, in phase 6 in
which the viewer 001 refers to and views recorded and stored
programs via the video display 014, phase 7 (107) to manually
select a thumbnail image and to assign a comment and phase 8 (108)
to upload the created data into the server. This system is
constructed by assuming a service or a community in which the
viewer or another agent creates and uploads metadata and the
metadata is shared to be distributed. The service provider 004
manages the metadata uploaded as above and distributes metadata
items associated with a particular time zone and a particular
channel to the respective recorders 010. As a result, it is
possible to set the thumbnail image on the basis of various data
items in addition to the metadata distributed from the particular
broadcasting station or program information center 003.
3. Third Embodiment
[0044] Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, description will be given
of the weighting operation to select a frame with the maximum
priority in a particular recording section. Referring to the
flowchart shown in FIG. 10, description will be given of processing
to select a program thumbnail image from the thumbnail image
candidates F[0] 250 to F[7] 257 at reception of metadata 431 for
videos in a time zone ranging from the start time 201 to the end
time 202. First, the total number of metadata items is assigned to
Num (311) and Score[i] is initialized for each value of i (312,
313). Next, according to the return value of function
SimilarImage(i,j), processing (316) is repeatedly executed to
update the values respectively of Score[i] and Score[j] in a range
from j=i+1 to j=Num-1 (314, 315). Function SimilarImage 320 is a
function to execute processing of steps 321 to 315 and determines
similarity between two different images based on threshold value
THRES designated in advance. As a result of the processing of FIG.
10, the eight thumbnail image candidates are classified into groups
which each including similar images. The value of Score[i] of a
representative image corresponds to the number of similar images.
Therefore, as FIG. 9 shows, Score[2] corresponding to image F[2]
having the largest number of similar images takes a value of four,
i.e., the maximum value, and hence F[2] is set as the
representative thumbnail image in the recording section. Through
the processing, it is possible to select, from the given metadata
items, a thumbnail image considered to most appropriately represent
the program.
[0045] Next, by referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, description will be
given of another example of the weighting operation to select a
frame with the maximum priority in a particular recording section.
This is an example of processing to select a program thumbnail
image at reception of metadata 432 via the internet for videos
recorded from the start time 201 to the end time 203. According to
the processing procedure shown in FIG. 12, the plural metadata
items are classified into groups each of which includes metadata
items having similar frame time Tframe[i]. Thereafter, a weighting
operation is conducted for the metadata items of which registration
day and time Treg[i] is near the frame time, i.e., the broadcast
time Tframe[i] to thereby determine Score[i]. As a result, higher
priority is assigned to metadata for which a comment is received at
an earlier point of time relative to the broadcast time thereof (a
high-speed realtime response). It is hence possible to determine as
the thumbnail image an image 260 selected from the videos of the
frame 261. It is also possible to assign higher priority to
metadata for which a greater number of comments are received.
Therefore, a thumbnail image appropriately representing the
program, for example, a frame popular among the viewers can be
easily extracted.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, description will be given of
an example of processing to select a thumbnail image in a desired
recording section when metadata similar to that shown in FIG. 11 is
present. If several groups of metadata items exist for videos 203
recorded from the start time 201 to the end time 202, a weighting
operation is conducted according to a predetermined condition
associated with a keyword, a genre, and "metadata registration day
and time" (steps 343 to 344 of FIG. 14) to separate a thumbnail
image, i.e., a frame with the highest priority 265 as a
representative frame 271 (step 345 of FIG. 14). This similarly
applies to a situation wherein metadata with the highest priority
exists within an arbitrarily designated period of time 206. If no
metadata exists in an arbitrarily designated period of time 207, a
default method is employed to separate as a thumbnail image a frame
273 when k seconds (k=60, i.e., one minute) lapses from the start
point of time (step 342 of FIG. 14). Also in a recording section
208, a target or separation frame 274 is determined through similar
processing (steps 343 to 345 of FIG. 14).
[0047] The method of assigning priority and the method of selecting
a separation frame shown in FIGS. 9 to 14 are examples of the
weighting operation to detect a frame with the highest priority.
However, the present invention is not restricted by these methods.
It is possible to define various methods to select a particular
frame using information defined by metadata. The frame may be
selected, for example, by making a check according to presence or
absence of a particular keyword, by assigning higher priority to
metadata transmitted from a particular transmission source, or by
preferentially selecting a frame having the earliest frame
time.
[0048] FIG. 15 shows a processing flow from the recording
reservation step to the thumbnail selection step and an example of
metadata to be received. At recording reservation (022), the start
time, the end time, and the channel are determined. Therefore, the
system receives metadata 433 having transmitted from an entity,
e.g., an entity as a broadcasting station or an office to which a
performer belongs. After the recording is carried out (021), the
system selects, in a procedure of step 302 of FIG. 5, a thumbnail
image 269 separated from a frame defined by metadata with the
highest priority. After various metadata items 434 and 435
distributed from a metadata distributor, viewers, and/or various
communities are received, the thumbnail selection processing 024 is
executed at appropriate timing. The thumbnail selection processing
is executed through, in addition to the processing of steps 305 to
307 of FIG. 5, an appropriate combination of processing, for
example, by combining the priority assignment through the grouping
with that through the weighting described in conjunction with FIGS.
9 to 14.
[0049] FIG. 16 shows a screen example of a video recording
apparatus according to the present invention. A screen 501 is an
example of a screen to conduct the recording reservation. When it
is desired to reserve recording of a program, program information
items such as a channel, "recording day and time", and a title of a
program to be recorded are displayed (502), and a reserve button
503 and a cancel button 504 are displayed. Also, a thumbnail image
setting mode is displayed (505). If a setting change button 506 is
selected, control goes to a mode setting screen 507. In the
thumbnail setting mode, the user may select a "system" mode (508)
in which a thumbnail image is automatically set according to
priority defined by the received metadata or a mode (510) in which
the user can set priority. For the priority setting condition,
there may be selected, for example, "priority genre setting (511)"
in which priority is increased for a program or a scene of the
associated genre and "priority keyword setting (512)" in which
priority is increased for metadata including a particular keyword.
It may also be possible to configure the system to allow more
precise setting, for example, the factor to magnify priority is
set, metadata from a particular source is preferentially processed,
and metadata items distributed from various communities take
precedence. Alternatively, the system may be constructed in which
the setting screen is not explicitly displayed, but the system
automatically learns the taste of the viewer while the viewer is
using the system. For example, there may be employed a system in
which for a frame finally set as a thumbnail by the viewer, the
system produces a score representing the reference value for the
selection of the frame (e.g., the community information takes
precedence or a frame selected on the basis of a keyword takes
precedence in the selection). As a result, a thumbnail image having
a highest score is selected in this method.
[0050] In the embodiments above, the metadata processing and the
thumbnail image selection are carried out on the local recording
apparatus side. However, the server may include a service in which
the sequence of the above processing or part thereof is executed on
the server side and the frame information to separate a thumbnail
is transmitted to the recording apparatus.
[0051] According to the apparatus and the system described above, a
thumbnail image which makes it possible to easily distinguish a
large amount of videos recorded as above can be displayed through a
simple procedure, the thumbnail image possibly reflecting the
contents of the associated program or chapter. This consequently
improves usability of the program retrieval and makes it possible
for the viewer to easily operate the system. For the program
producer and sponsor as well as other agent, this aspect of the
apparatus and the system is also effectively employed to
appropriately notify the viewers of the scene to be actually viewed
by the viewers.
[0052] It is possible to provide the viewers with a video recorder
with higher operability and with a service and a system which
simplify the viewing of a large number of programs thus recorded
and which facilitate management of the contents thereof.
[0053] It is possible to provide the television program producer
and sponsor with a scheme to appropriately notify the viewers of
the scene to be actually viewed by the viewers. Moreover, by
collecting metadata items from the viewers, it is possible to
inspect, for example, how the programs are viewed and to confirm
the viewership.
[0054] It should be further understood by those skilled in the art
that although the foregoing description has been made on
embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto
and various changes and modifications may be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended
claims.
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